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Intermountain Express: 1940

March 1940. "Trailer truck at gas station. Elko, Nevada." Our second helping of P.I.E. Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein. View full size.

March 1940. "Trailer truck at gas station. Elko, Nevada." Our second helping of P.I.E. Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein. View full size.

 

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Aviation Ethyl

is what I read on the left pump.
Some further research lead me to the label sticked to the pump, it reads:
"Associated Aviation Ethyl Gasoline".

Gas or diesel?

The pump on the right is marked diesel; the nozzle is still in its holder. I can't read the label on the left pump but its hose in going to the truck gas tank.

Truck Taxonomy

This is a 1936 Kenworth conventional Shovelnose, and inexpertly judging by the look of the side hood louvers, it was most likely powered by a 6-cylinder Hercules gas engine.

[A Kenworth innovation for its diesel-powered models was the vertical exhaust stack, which this truck has. -Dave]

So close to modern

I've long been amazed at how trucks went pretty much overnight from solid tires, chain drives, open cabs, hideously inadequate mechanical brakes, and "warranty void if operated over 15 mph" to something very similar to the trucks we see today, circa early 1930s.

And I know from comments on previous Shorpy posts that the "CAUTION AIR BRAKES" legend on the back was to warn drivers who were accustomed to assuming that trucks couldn't stop quickly. I observe that this truck has air horns, therefore, also air brakes.

The rear-view mirrors are still ridiculously small.

Damn good pie!

My sister and I would start hollering for some pie when we saw these on inter-state trips.

Interesting Figure

I like the profile view of the man in the distance just behind the trailer!

Name That Tractor

Can't quite make out the name badge on the hood, but this tractor looks like a Garrett Kenworth "Shovel Nose" from the mid to late 30s. Probably a diesel which were more common out West back then, especially for long-haul tractors. (All the coal trucks in my native Western Pennsylvania of that era were usually gasoline powered Federals, Internationals, and GMCs). We kids would get pretty excited when we saw the rare Sterling or Kenworth.

Broderick Crawford

He should be showing up at any minute. This looks just like a scene out of “Highway Patrol.”

[Or, this being Nevada, “State Trooper” starring Rod Cameron. -Dave]

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